Basket style carrier with rigid medial beam and reinforced end handles

ABSTRACT

A collapsible basket style carrier that can be formed from a paperboard blank. The basket style carrier includes a bottom wall, a pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls, a medial beam extending between the end walls, and a slot handle in each of the end walls. The medial beam and the manner in which the medial beam, the end walls, and the bottom wall are connected gives the carrier structural integrity. The basket style carrier also includes lateral dividers that extend from the medial beam to the side walls to define compartments for receiving articles such as bottles.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/908,155, filed Mar. 26, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to cartons, and more specifically to a basket style distribution carrier having reinforced end handles and a rigid medial beam.

BACKGROUND

Plastic trays are often used to transport multiple articles to a location where the articles are disposed for individual handling. In particular, plastic trays are used to transport beverage containers such as cans or bottles to points of purchase such as retail establishments or vending machines for sale as individual articles.

A shortcoming of plastic trays is that they require extensive handling after they have been unloaded. Typically, the trays must be transported back to the place of loading, must be stored, and may have to be cleansed before being used again. Oftentimes, the plastic trays are lost or inadvertently left at the point of sale. These shortcomings add costs to the process of stocking the points of purchase with beverage containers. It can be appreciated that it would be useful to have a means for simplifying and reducing the cost of transporting individual articles to points of purchase.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The various embodiments of the present invention overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a collapsible basket style carrier that can be formed, for example, from a sheet of paperboard. The basket style carrier is particularly well suited for distribution applications, having a rigid medial beam that provides structural integrity and reinforced end walls with integral slot handles that fortify the ends of the carrier for carrying multiple articles in, for example, a single tiered configuration that is convenient for distribution. Advantageously, these features fortify the carrier without the need for utilizing extra material in the sides or bottom of the carrier.

Generally described, the basket style carrier includes a bottom wall, a pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls, a medial beam extending between the end walls, and a slot handle in each of the end walls. The medial beam and the manner in which the medial beam, the end walls, and the bottom wall are connected gives the carrier structural integrity. The basket style carrier can also include lateral dividers that extend from the medial beam to the side walls to define compartments for receiving articles such as bottles.

According to one aspect of the invention, a composite partition is connected to each of the end walls and the medial beam is connected to each of the composite partitions. Specifically, each end wall includes a pair of side end flaps that are hingedly connected to the side walls and extend toward one another such that their distal edges are adjacent one another. Each composite partition includes a pair of partition panels that are secured to one another. Each partition panel is hingedly connected to a distal edge of a respective one of the side end flaps. A corner aperture is defined in each of the side end flaps and together the corner apertures provide a substantially continuous slot handle. In certain embodiments, the corner apertures interrupt the hinged connection between the side end flaps and the respective partition panels such that the composite partitions do not substantially interrupt the slot handles.

According to another aspect of the invention, each of the end walls further includes a bottom end flap and a pair of reinforcing sections. The bottom end flap is hingedly connected to the bottom wall, is in flat face contact with the outside surfaces of the side end flaps, and includes a reinforcing aperture that is positioned to align with the corner apertures to further provide the slot handle. The reinforcing sections are hingedly connected to the distal edge of the bottom end flap, are in flat face contact with the inside surfaces of the side end flaps, and have a cutout therebetween that is aligned with the medial beam and composite portion. The cutout is shaped to align with the corner apertures and further provide the slot handle.

The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the aspects and features of the present invention, which should be construed to be merely illustrative of various potential applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by combining various aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for forming an article carrier according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2-4 are plan views of the blank of FIG. 1 that illustrate various steps according to an exemplary method of folding the blank.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an article carrier having been partially erected from the blank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the article carrier of FIG. 5, having been fully erected.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the article carrier of FIG. 6, having been loaded with beverage bottles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, the word “exemplary” is used expansively to refer to embodiments that serve as illustrations, specimens, models, or patterns. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials, or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, the drawings illustrate certain of the various aspects of an exemplary embodiment of a basket style article carrier. The basket style article carrier will be described in the context of an application involving the transportation of beverage bottles for retail distribution, although it is contemplated that such an article carrier can be used for any suitable application. Generally, the article carrier that is illustrated and described is a lower cost and potentially disposable alternative to reusable plastic trays that are commonly used by truck drivers distributing individual beverage bottles that are destined to be placed in vending or point of purchase or retail display cases, refrigerated cases, and the like.

The basket style article carrier 200 (FIGS. 6 and 7) includes a medial beam M that enhances its structural integrity, while providing a slot handle H in one or both of its end walls 202, 204, the slot handle H being reinforced by being formed from cooperating apertures, notches, cutouts and the like formed in three or more plies of material that make up at least part of the respective end wall 202, 204, as will be described in more detail below.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the exemplary article carrier 200 is formed from a blank 100 that is preferably struck from a single sheet of foldable material, such as, but not limited to, paperboard, cardstock, cardboard, plastic sheet, and the like. The inside surface is shown in the figure.

The blank 100 includes a number of panels, each foldably or hingedly connected one to another as needed to define the features of the article carrier 200 once the blank has been folded, arranged, secured, and otherwise configured into its finished or erected form. For clarity, in FIGS. 1-4, unfolded fold lines are illustrated as dashed lines and severance lines are illustrated as solid lines.

The blank 100 includes a bottom panel 102 hingedly connected along a fold line 104 to a first side panel 106. A second side panel 108 is indirectly connected to the first side panel 106, as described below. Once erected, the bottom panel 102 defines the bottom support surface of the article carrier, hereinafter referred to as the bottom wall. A bottom end flap 110, 112 is hingedly connected to each end edge of the bottom wall 102. That is, a first bottom end flap 110 is hingedly connected along a fold line 114 to an end edge of the bottom panel 102, and a second bottom end flap 112 is hingedly connected along a fold line 116 to the opposite end edge of the bottom panel 102.

An optional or notional medial line 118 bifurcates the bottom panel 102 and the bottom end flaps 110, 112 of the blank 100. Specifically, the medial line 118 includes medial line segment 118 a, which defines the longitudinal axis of bottom panel 102, as well as medial line segments 118 b, 118 c, which define centerlines of slot shaped handle apertures 120, 122 formed in each bottom end flap 110, 112. Handle flaps F are hingedly connected along edges of the handle apertures 120, 122. Reinforcing panels 124, 126 hingedly connected to each bottom end flap 110 along fold lines 123, 125 respectively are also divided into pairs of reinforcing sections 124 a, 124 b and 126 a, 126 b along the medial line segments 118 b, 118 c. Together, each pair of reinforcing sections 124 a, 124 b and 126 a, 126 b approximate a cutout 128, 130 that corresponds to the handle apertures 120, 122 when folded into face contacting relationship with the adjacent bottom end flap 110, 112. To define each cutout 128, 130, a notch 132 a, 132 b and 134 a, 134 b is struck from each of the reinforcing sections 124 a, 124 b and 126 a, 126 b.

The interconnections between the side panels 106, 108 will now be described. The end edges of the first side panel 106 are each hingedly connected along a fold line 136, 140 to a first side end flap 138, 142. The first side end flap 138, 142 is hingedly connected along a fold line 146, 150 to a partition panel 144, 148.

A portion of the proximal edge of the partition panel 144 defined by the fold line 146, is also hingedly connected to a first beam component 176. The beam component 176 is also hingedly connected to a lateral divider 184 a along a fold line 185, which is aligned with the fold line 136. The lateral divider 184 a is hingedly connected at its other end to the first side panel 106 along the fold line 186 a.

The beam component 176 is similarly hingedly connected to the proximal edge of a partition panel 164, defined by a fold line 166, which is also hingedly connected to a side end flap 158 along the fold line 166. The side end flap 158 is hingedly connected to the second side panel 108 along a fold line 156. The beam component 176 is also hingedly connected to another lateral divider 184 b along a fold line 183, which is aligned with the fold line 156. The lateral divider 184 b is hingedly connected at its other end to the second side panel 108, along a fold line 186 b.

Another beam component 178, along with associated lateral dividers 188 a, 188 b, interconnects the opposed end of the first side panel 106 with the second side panel 108. More specifically, a portion of the proximal edge of the partition panel 148, defined by the fold line 150, is hingedly connected to the second beam component 178. The beam component 178 is hingedly connected to the lateral divider 188 a along a fold line 187, which is aligned with the fold line 140. The lateral divider 188 a is hingedly connected at its other end to the first side panel 106, along a fold line 190 a.

The beam component 178 is also hingedly connected to the proximal edge of a partition panel 168, defined by a fold line 170, which is hingedly connected to a side end flap 162 along the fold line 170. The side end flap 162 is hingedly connected to the second side panel 108 along a fold line 160. The beam component 178 is further hingedly connected to lateral divider 188 b along a fold line 189, which is aligned with the fold line 160. The lateral divider 188 b is hingedly connected at its other end to the second side panel 108, along the fold line 190 b.

In accordance to the arrangement just described, the beam components 176, 178 in essence indirectly connect the side panels 106, 108 via a series of hinged connections, which facilitates the set up of the article carrier 200 as will be described below. Fold lines 180, 182 bifurcate beam components 176, 178, respectively.

The blank 100 also includes corner apertures 152, 154, 172, 174, which are each formed at least partially in the respective side end flaps 138, 142, 158,162, and may extend across the fold lines 146, 150, 166, 170 and onto the partition panels 144, 148, 164, 168. An edge flap 192 is hingedly connected to the second side panel 108 along a fold line 194.

For the purpose of illustration, and not of limitation, an exemplary method for manually or automatically erecting the article carrier 200 will now be detailed, with reference to FIGS. 1-6. Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, the blank 100 is folded to form a partially folded and secured article carrier 200 (shown in FIG. 4) that can be easily stored and transported in a collapsed condition and thereafter fully erected to form the article carrier 200 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the blank 100 is folded such that the side end flaps 138, 158 fold along the fold lines 136, 156, the lateral dividers 184 a, 184 b fold along the fold lines 183, 185, 186 a, 186 b and the beam component 176 folds along the fold lines 146, 166. Thereby, the beam component 176 overlaps the beam component 178 and the lateral dividers 184 a, 184 b overlap the first and second side panels 106, 108, respectively. Adhesive is applied to one or both of the beam components 176, 178 to secure the overlapping portions of the beam components 176, 178 to one another. Further, the partition panels 148, 168 are folded along the fold lines 150, 170 to overlap the side end flaps 142, 162.

Adhesive is further applied to the beam component 176, one or both of the partition panels 144, 164, and one or both of the partition panels 148, 168. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the blank 100 is then folded along the fold lines 180, 182 such that portions of the beam component 176 on either side of the fold line 180 are secured to one another, such that the partition panels 144, 164 are secured to one another, and such that the partition panels 148, 168 are secured to one another.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, adhesive is thereafter applied to the edge flap 192 and the bottom panel 102 and bottom end flaps 110, 112 are folded along the fold line 118 such that the bottom panel 102 is secured to the edge flap 192. Referring to FIG. 4, the blank 100 is folded and secured to form the collapsed, partially erected version of the article carrier 200, which can be easily configured to form the erected but unfinished article carrier 200 illustrated in FIG. 5. The article carrier 200 is completed as described below.

The collapsed article carrier shown in FIG. 4 is expanded to the partially erected article carrier shown in FIG. 5. Certain panels are hereinafter referred to as walls. Bottom panel 102 provides a bottom wall 102, side panels 106, 108 provide side walls 106, 108, and side end flaps 138, 142, 158, 162 partially provide end walls 202, 204. The beam components 176, 178 are secured to one another and configured to form a medial beam M that extends longitudinally above the bottom panel 102 and between the end walls 202, 204. The lateral dividers 184 a, 184 b, 188 a, 188 b extend from the medial beam M to the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 108. The partition panels 144, 148, 164, 168 are secured to one another to provide composite partitions P that are straddled by the layers of the medial beam M, as shown in FIG. 5.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 5 and 6, the end walls 202 and 204 (FIG. 6) are completed. Glue or other means for securing sheet material is applied to the inside surface of the bottom end flaps 110, 112 and to the inside surfaces of the reinforcing sections 124 a, 124 b and 126 a, 126 b. The bottom end flaps 110, 112 are folded inwardly into face contacting relation with respect to the respective side end flaps 138, 158 and 142, 162, and the reinforcing flaps 124, 126 are folded over to sandwich the side end flaps 138, 158 and 142, 162 between the reinforcing flaps 124, 126 and the bottom end flaps 110, 112.

Clearly, because the reinforcing flaps 124, 126 are advantageously formed as reinforcing sections 124 a, 124 b and 126 a, 126 b, the reinforcing flaps 124, 126 clear the medial beam M and can be folded such that their inside surfaces preferably flatly contact the inside surfaces of the side end flaps 138, 158 and 142, 162, respectively.

With reference again to FIG. 6, reinforced slot handles H are thereby formed, with the handle apertures 120, 122 being in registry with the cutouts 128, 130, and with the cooperating corner apertures 152, 172, 154, 174. Recesses R in the partitions P, formed by corner apertures 152, 172, 154, 174, provide clearance such that the handle flaps F can be folded toward the interior of the carrier 200.

Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, although the exemplary article carrier 200 is designed to provide six compartments for carrying six groups of four bottles B, as shown in FIG. 7, it is contemplated that the article carrier can be modified to hold more or fewer bottles B, or to divide the group of bottles B into more or fewer groups. The article carrier may be constructed from disposable material or may be reusable. All such modifications, combinations, and variations are included herein by the scope of this disclosure and the following claims. 

1. A basket style carrier, comprising: a bottom wall; a pair of opposed side walls; a pair of opposed end walls, each comprising: a pair of side end flaps each having a corner aperture at least partially defined therein, each of the pair of side end flaps being hingedly connected to a respective one of the side walls, the pair of side end flaps extending toward one another such that distal edges thereof abut one another to join the respective corner apertures, thereby at least partially defining a slot handle; and a medial beam extending between the end walls; and a composite partition connected to and extending inwardly from each of the end walls, each of the composite partitions being connected to the medial beam.
 2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein: each composite partition comprises a pair of partition panels, and each of the pair of partition panels is hingedly connected to the distal edge of a respective one of the pair of side end flaps, the pair of partition panels being in flat face contact with one another.
 3. The carrier of claim 2, wherein each corner aperture is further defined in a respective one of the pair of partition panels so as to interrupt the hinged connection between each side end flap and an adjacent partition panel.
 4. The carrier of claim 2, further comprising a bottom end flap hingedly connected to the bottom wall and disposed in face contacting arrangement with the pair of side end flaps, the bottom end flap having a handle aperture that is in registry with the joined corner apertures, thereby at least partially defining the slot handle.
 5. The carrier of claim 4, further comprising a handle flap operatively associated with the slot handle, wherein the corner apertures extend into each of the pair of partition panels, thereby defining recesses that provide clearance for the handle flap to fold inwardly with respect to the carrier.
 6. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising a bottom end flap hingedly connected to the bottom wall and disposed in face contacting arrangement with the pair of side end flaps, the bottom end flap having a handle aperture that is in registry with the joined corner apertures, thereby at least partially defining the slot handle.
 7. The carrier of claim 6, further comprising a pair of reinforcing sections, each hingedly connected to an edge of the bottom end flap and disposed in face contacting arrangement with the pair of side end flaps, the pair of reinforcing sections defining a cutout that is in registry with the joined corner apertures, thereby at least partially defining the slot handle.
 8. The carrier of claim 7, wherein the bottom end flap is in flat face contact with the outside surface of the pair of side end flaps, and the pair of reinforcing sections are in flat face contact with the inside surface of the pair of side end flaps.
 9. A basket style carrier, comprising: a bottom wall; a pair of opposed side walls; a pair of opposed end walls, each end wall comprising: a pair of side end flaps, each of the side end flaps being hingedly connected to a respective one of the side walls, the side end flaps of said each end wall extending toward one another such that distal edges thereof are adjacent to one another; and a bottom end flap hingedly connected to the bottom wall and disposed in a face contacting arrangement with the side end flaps of said each end wall; a composite partition connected to said each end wall, each composite partition comprising a pair of partition panels, each of the partition panels of said each composite partition being hingedly connected to the distal edge of a respective one of the side end flaps, the partition panels of said each composite partition being in flat face contact with one another; and a medial beam connected to each of the composite partitions and extending between the end walls.
 10. The carrier of claim 9, wherein said each end wall further comprises a pair of reinforcing sections both hingedly connected to an edge of the bottom end flap of said each end wall and disposed on either side of the medial beam.
 11. The carrier of claim 10, wherein the bottom end flap of said each end wall is in flat face contact with the outside surface of the side end flaps of said each end wall, and the pair of reinforcing sections of said each end wall are in flat face contact with the inside surface of the side end flaps of said each end wall.
 12. A blank for forming a basket style carrier having reinforced end walls, comprising: a bottom panel; a bottom end flap hingedly connected to the bottom panel, the bottom end flap having a handle aperture defined therein; a first side panel and a second side panel, each arranged to be hingedly connected to the bottom panel when the blank is erected to form a basket style carrier; a first side end flap and a second side end flap hingedly connected to the first side panel and to the second side panel, respectively, the first side end flap and the second side end flap each having a corner aperture defined therein; and a first partition panel and a second partition panel hingedly connected to the first side end flap and the second side end flap, respectively, said corner apertures of said first and second side end flaps extending into the first and second partition panels respectively.
 13. The blank of claim 12, wherein when the blank is erected into a carrier, the first partition panel and the second partition panel are disposed in a face contacting arrangement such that the corner apertures are joined, and the bottom end flap are in a face contacting arrangement with the first and second side end flaps such that the corner apertures are aligned with the handle aperture.
 14. The blank of claim 13, further comprising a reinforcing panel hingedly connected to the bottom end flap, the reinforcing panel having a cutout defined therein so that when the blank is erected, the reinforcing panel is disposed in a face contacting arrangement with the first and second partition panels and the cutout is aligned with the corner apertures. 